Cancer-killing vaccines could be made drastically more potent, according to scientists at Northwestern University, who say their new technology would arm vaccines with a "powerful weapon with which to kill cancer".

By changing its architecture, their vaccine was able to double the number of T-cells (a type of white blood cell) available to attack tumors.

They believe their development could make any vaccine far more powerful and more effective at beating cancer.

The team at the University's International Institute for Nanotechnology focused on seven different types of cancer with the same vaccine structure used for all, but switched-out with a different cancer protein that "clips" on—"not unlike adding a new charm to a bracelet".

Vaccines are made up of the antigen and an adjuvant, a substance used to boost the strength. Currently, conventional vaccines blend the two together.

Unhappy with that "mish mosh" approach, the team proceeded with the premise that the structure of vaccine components were as important as the components themselves.

Their used chemistry and nanotechnology to change the locations of the antigen and adjuvant and make the medicine more targeted—and easier for the immune system to find tumor cells.

Editing the vaccine's architecture allowed scientists to double the number of T cells attacking the cancer, and activate 30 percent more of the same cells.

"It is remarkable, when altering the placement of antigens in two vaccines that are nearly identical from a compositional standpoint, the treatment benefit against tumors is dramatically changed," said Institute Director Dr. Chad Mirkin.

"If your immune cells are soldiers, a traditional vaccine leaves some unarmed; our vaccine arms them all with a powerful weapon with which to kill cancer.

"Where and how we position the antigens and adjuvant within a single architecture markedly changes how the immune system recognizes and processes it.

"Small changes in antigen placement on a vaccine significantly elevate cell-to-cell communication, cross-talk, and cell synergy.

The same "rational vaccinology" could be applied in treatments for other diseases, as well.

The team invented SNAs, spherical nucleic acids, which allow scientists to pinpoint exactly how many antigens and adjuvants are being delivered to cells. Positioning SNAs in different locations changed the immune system's ability to remember the invader, and affected whether or not it remembered it long term.

Placing SNAs in the correct area increased the immune response. Accurate placement could speed up the vaccine-triggering immune cell protein, cytokine, which in turn produces more white blood cells.

Shifting vaccine locations and strengths helps the medicine continue to target cancer cells even when they mutate.

"You need more than one type of T cell activated, so you can more easily attack a tumor cell," said Professor Michelle Teplensky of Boston University, a co-author of the study published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.

"The more types of cells the immune system has to go after tumors, the better. Vaccines consisting of multiple antigens targeting multiple immune cell types are necessary to induce enhanced and long-lasting tumor remission.

"It is about redefining how we develop vaccines across the board, including ones for infectious diseases."